Trafigura, Gunvor, Vitol and Glencore are to deliver about 25 million tonnes of supply this year, or 8.5 percent of anticipated 2017 production - more than triple the volume in 2015.

Typically, traders act as go-betweens for producers and end-users, investing in logistics and storage to enhance trade, while also providing credit and shouldering risk for their customers.

Here is a list of major LNG deals concluded by top trading companies:

INFRASTRUCTURE DEALS:

Sept 2017 - Trafigura, which owns a small share in Pakistan’s second floating import terminal arriving in October called Pakistan GasPort, plans to develop another facility alongside it, including a jetty and berth.

2016/2017 - Gunvor joins a consortium with Fatima Fertiliser , Royal Dutch Shell and Engro to install a third terminal in Pakistan. This is scheduled to come online in late 2018.

SALES DEALS:

June 2017 - Swiss trader AOT Energy signs memorandum of understanding with Bangladesh to help it line up LNG supplies.

May 2017 - Egypt begins to defer contracted LNG shipments as surging domestic gas output squeezes demand for imports, signalling the withdrawal of one of the fastest-growing LNG consumers from the global stage. Traders must look to new markets for growth.

Jan 2014 - Talks start between Russia’s Novatek, the developer of the Yamal LNG export plant in the Arctic Peninsula, and Gunvor for access to long-term supply. Industry sources say the talks culminated in Gunvor sealing a long-term LNG supply deal, the first-ever trading house to do so.